Published January 11, 2016 at 3:50 PM Updated September 4, 2017 at 1:51 PM

The panda cub Bei Bei, born at Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington D.C., will start receiving visitors for the first time Jan. 16, 2016.

In a sneak peak, the Chinese ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, paid an early visit to China’s newest cultural diplomat.

“Pandas bring people from China and the U.S. closer. They also promote the joint efforts of China and the U.S. to protect wild animals. They are actually ‘Panda Ambassadors’,” Cui said.

Chinese ambassador visits panda cub at Washington zoo

Chinese ambassador visits panda cub at Washington zoo

The panda cub Beibei, born at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington D.C., will start receiving visitors for the first time Jan. 16, 2016. The Chinese ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, was invited to make an early visit, to check out if Beibei is ready to become China's latest Panda Ambassador.